Safety valve for hot-water heaters



1 1,578,046 H. H. LOGAN SAFETY VALVE FOR HOT WATER HEATERS March 23 1926Filed Feb. 16. 1924 ATTORNEYS Patented Mai. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES HENRY -HAVELOCK LOGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY VALVE FOR HOT-WATER HEATERS.

Application 'filed February 16, 1924. Serial- No. 693,322.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. LOGAN, acitizen of Great Britain (who hasdeclared his intention of becoming a citizen of the United States), anda resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Safety Valves for Hot-W'aterHeaters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in safety valves for hot waterheaters, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, andarrangements herein described and claimed. I

An object of my invention is to provide a safety valve of the typedescribed by means of which abnormal pressure in the water system of ahot water heater may be relieved, and thereby prevent damage to adjacentproperty. My invention is particularly well adapted for use in coldclimates, with the ordinary type of range having a water chamber forheating water passed from the chamber through. a system of pipes. It iswell known that in systems of this kind that the pipes in the systemoften become frozen, thereby stopping circulation of water and causingthe overheating of water in the heater to such an extent as to raise theamount of steamsufiicient to burst the pipes in the system, as well asthe heating chamber itself, and cause damage. I am aware that certaindevices have been constructed with the end in view of eliminating thisdanger, and which use fusible elements which are intended to fuse whenthe heat within the water chamber reaches a predetermined degree, orotherwise be relieved through a delicately controlled valve placedtherein.

'However, this type of device necessitates very critical adjustment andwill fail in its operation if the temperature within the water systemfails to reach that temperature .required to fuse the element or in caseof incrustation about the movable parts of the apparatus.

A. further object of my invention is to provide a device of the typedescribed which is capable of adjustment so as to permit the exhaust ofsteam from the system as in the case of freezing, at various pressureswhich may be determined upon an inspection of the strength of pipes andtubes used in the hot water system, and the normal pressure carried.

A further object of my invention is to provide a safety valve for hotwater heaters in which a drain is employed for carrying off the hotwater when the safety valve is operated, so that the water will not bedischarged either in the range or on the floor about the range. Thisdrain I deem of great importance, and is of such construction as topermit the hot water discharged from the safety valve to flow over theopen end of the drain if by any chance the drain itself should bestopped, as by the lodgement of frozen water therein.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the typedescribed which is compact in form, which is not likely to get out oforder easily, and which is thoroughly efficient in operation.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed-outin the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part ofthis application, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of an embodimentof my invention, 7

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 1,partly in section,

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view along the line 38 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view along the line 4l of Figure 2,and

Figure 5 is asectional view along the line 55 of Figure 8.

Incarrying out my invention I make use of the ordinary type of range 1having a water chamber 2. An inletpipe 4 and an outlet pipe 3 areconnected with the water chamber 2, for the purpose of admitting andconveying water to and from the chamber from the ordinary type of hotwater system, including such devices as faucets and the like disposed atvarious places in the building in which the range is used. This type ofrange is well known to rural districts and the water chamber 2 is'thesole means for obtaining hot water.

My improved safety valve for hot water heater is disposed in the inletline, comprising a pipe 1 and consists in a valve chamber 5 having aninlet port and an outlet port which are connected with adjacent ends ofthe severed inlet pipe 4, preferably in the vicinity of the range. V

The valve chamber 5 is provided with an opening 7 in the top-wallthereof having a valve seat 8. A valve member 9, (see Figure 5) havingradially extending ribs 10 on the peripheral wall thereof, is arrangedto lie in the openings 7 in such a manner as to permit the ribs 10 toengage with the walls of the opening 7 and permitting the valve stem 9and a valve 11 supported upon the valve stem 9 to sea upon the valveseat 8. The stem 9 is provided with a reduced portion 12 extendingupwardly from the valve 11. The reduced port-ion 12 of the valve stem isdisposed within a housing 13 forming a part of the casting of which thechamber 5 is constructed. The chamber 13 has a threaded aperture 14 atthe top thereof in which an adjustment plug 15 is threaded. V

This adjustment plug 15 has a longitudinally extending opening 16therethrough arranged to partially receive the reduced portion 12 of thevalve stem so that the valve stem may rise therein. A slot 17 isprovided in the top wall of the plug 15 so as to receive a tool for thepurpose of turning the plug 15 for adjustment.

A compression spring 18 is disposed concentric with the reduced portion12 of the valve stem between the plug 15 and the valve 11 in such amanner as to cause the valve 11 to be yieldably seated upon the valveseat 8 by a force directly proportional to the degree to which thespring 18 is compressed, as by adjustment of the plug 15.

A locknut 20. is disposed upon the threaded portion of the plug15.adjacent to the mouth of the aperture 14, and is for the pur pose oflocking the plug 15 against unintentional rotation which would changethe degree to which the spring 17 will be compressed.

A cap 21 is provided with a threaded portion 22 arranged to engage withthe threads upon the exterior wall of the plug 15, and is for thepurpose of preventing the escape of steam through the opening 16 intothe atmosphere adj aeent to the safety valve. A further object inproviding the cap' 21 is to protect the'threads upon the plug 15 and thelocknut and to keep dust and extraneous substances out of'the open" ing16 so that the valve stem may move freely therein.

An exhaust port 21 is provided in the compartment 13 and is connectedwith a clownwardly extending faucet-like conducting tube 22. This tube22 is disposed immediately over the drain pi 9e 23 provided with afunnel-like head 24 which has inward and radially extending guidemembers 25 for the purpose of maintaining the discharge end of the tube22 in axial registration with the drain pipe 23. The purpose of theopenings 26 between the adjacent guide members is to permit the exhaustof hot water and steam from the exhaust port 21 into the atmosphere iffor any reason the drain pipe 23 should be frozen. Ordinarily there isno occasion for the freezing of this pipe, since it should be kept emptyat all times, and should communicate preferably with a special reservoirand not with the regular drainage pipes ordinarily provided for sinksand the like.

From the foregoing description of the va= rious parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood. Let us as sume that theinlet pipe 4 below the safety valve is frozen tight and that there isfire in the range sufficient to heat the water in the chamber 2 to aboiling point, and produce steam if circulation is not had in the system. Obviously there can be no circulation in the hot water system ifthe inlet pipe 4 is frozen or otherwise stopped. in the chamber 2 willtherefore gradually assume a head sufficient to burst the pipes 3 or thehot water chamber itself if some such means as I have provided in mysafety valve were not employed for the purpose of relieving thispressure. As the pressure within the water chamber 2 rises to that pointat which the spring 18 can no longer hold The steam the valve 11 uponthe seat 8, the valve 11 will rise against the action of the spring andsteam accompanied by quantities or hot water from the water chamber willbe expelled through the exhaust port 21, into the funnel 24 of the drain23, where it will pass through the drain to the reservoir or any othersuitable receptacle provided, thus causing no damage to propertyadjacent to the range.

Let us assume that for some unforeseen reason the drain pipe 23 isstopped so that the hot water may not pass therethrough. This conditionwill not negative the operation of my improved safety valve, and anexplosion will be prevented by the exhaust of steam and hot waterthrough the exhaust port 21 where it will pass through the openings 26into the atmosphere. noted here that under these extraordinarycircumstances the water will fall directly upon the floor or adjacentproperty, but the actual danger caused by an explosion which mightinjure persons and property in the immediate vicinity will have beencompletely overcome.

My improved safety valve is constructed in such a manner as to permitthe accurate adjustment of the spring 18 by rotation of the plug 15, andsubsequently locking the plug against movement by the locknut 20, sothat the device may be suitably adjusted for all types of systems, andto suit any of the various pressures prevailing in the water systems ofdifferent localities.

I claim:

A safety valve of the character described It will be comprising a valvechamber arranged for connection with a hot Water system said valvechamber having an outlet port for delivering Water, a valve disposed inthe upper Wall of said chamber, and adjustable spring means for holdingsaid Valve closed against the normal pressure in said Water system, adrain pipe having the upper end thereof open and disposed adjacent tosaid Valve 10 chamber, and a conducting tube communicating with theexhaust port of said Valve at one end and having its opposite endtapered inwardly and disposed over the upper open end of said drainpipe, whereby liquid and steam exhausted from said Valve 1 When openedmay be deposited over the open end of said drain pipe and the Watercarried away.

HENRY HAVELOGK LOGAN

